Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 225

Inspiration

Every year I'm amazed and inspired by the productivity and creativity surrounding National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo.) If you're not familiar with it, the goal of NaNoWriMo is to write a novel in a month. You can log your progress online, participate in forums for different genres, and receive motivation, support, and encouragement from other writers.

Unfortunately, I never seem able to participate because I'm in the middle of a manuscript (to technically follow the rules, you're supposed to start a new project), but I feed off of the creativity and excitement of the participants and lurk in the forums pretty frequently, too.

Interested in participating in NaNoWriMo next month? Here are some posts that have run recently to help you get prepared:

9 Ways to Prepare for the National Novel Writing Month
NaNoWriMo starts right here, right now
Planning for a Writing Push
NaNoWriMo (main site)

Actually, I find inspiration in a lot of other ways too:

Bad books as inspiration. (Because I don't want to write that poorly.)

Good books as inspiration. (I'm amazed at the author's skill.)

Watching plays or going to a concert for inspiration.

Music as inspiration.

Housework for inspiration. (I don't want to do it and I'll have to start vacuuming if I stop writing.) :)

Taking a walk for inspiration.

Virtual interaction with other writers for inspiration.

In-person interaction with other writers for inspiration.

How do you find inspiration? And are you interested in participating in NaNoWriMo?

Writing the Devil into Your Bad Guy

Every novel needs to have at least one major bad guy (or gal), an antagonist with flaws and desires that lead to chaos, crime and even murder. This bad guy must provide a certain amount of tension, even when he isn't in a scene. Readers must feel him (or her) lurking, plotting and planning, creeping closer to his goal. To do this, writers must often "write the devil into a bad guy".

By this I mean that writers must delve into the psyche and personality of their antagonist to find out what makes them tick and what they want. And they'd better want something they shouldn't have. Money, power, control, sex or someone. What makes this character bad? Or evil? Whatever it is, amp it to a high level of devil-may-care, devil-made-me-do-it attitude.

In Lancelot's Lady, I started with a private investigator. Winston Chambers seemed nice enough at first. He did a good deed; he helped a character locate someone. But then we learn a bit more about Winston. We learn he has a fondness for gambling, and he's not very good. This presents a great time to add a bit of the Devil to his personality.

Desperate people do desperate things, but desperation isn't the only reason Winston does what he does. He's a survivalist who lusts after power, money and one particular woman―Rhianna McLeod. Lust is the Devil's playmate.

We later learn something else about Winston, and here's where the Devil really comes out. He routinely enjoys the pleasures of prostitutes. Now if that doesn't make you wrinkle your nose in displeasure, this next part will. He doesn't treat his women very well. In fact, he's sadistically evil.

We learn all of this as the romance between Rhianna and Jonathan progresses. Winston lurks in the background, appearing now and then to add tension to Lancelot's Lady. You just know something is going to happen. And it does. In the end, Winston makes a bold move that jeopardizes everything for Rhianna, including her own life.

Writing the Devil into a character is a great way to show conflict, terror and suspense. It keeps readers on the edge of their seats, waiting, wondering, chewing their nails. Even a character's physical description can add to his or her evil persona. Winston is obese, balding, wheezing, huffing and sweaty. Slimy...

Don't you want to meet him now? Well, you can. Just pick up an ebook copy of Lancelot's Lady.

Lancelot's Lady ~ A Bahamas holiday from dying billionaire JT Lance, a man with a dark secret, leads palliative nurse Rhianna McLeod to Jonathan, a man with his own troubled past, and Rhianna finds herself drawn to the handsome recluse, while unbeknownst to her, someone with a horrific plan is hunting her down.

Lancelot's Lady is available in ebook edition at KoboBooks, Amazon's Kindle Store, Smashwords and other ebook retailers. Help me celebrate by picking up a copy today and "Cherish the romance..."

You can learn more about Lancelot's Lady and Cherish D'Angelo (aka Cheryl Kaye Tardif) at http://www.cherishdangelo.com and http://www.cherylktardif.blogspot.com. Follow Cherish from September 27 to October 10 on her Cherish the Romance Virtual Book Tour and win prizes.

Who is your favourite "bad guy" in film or a novel, and why?

Leave a comment here, with email address, to be entered into the prize draws. You're guaranteed to receive at least 1 free ebook just for doing so. Plus you'll be entered to win a Kobo ereader. Winners will be announced after October 10th.

Writing Series—Thoughts and Resources

When my son gets hooked on a new series, it's very exciting for me—I don't have to research YA books for a little while! I'm so relieved to have something he's thrilled to read that I'll find the books however it takes—library, bookstore, or online retailer. He's an avid reader, and a fast one, and he flies through books. I spend a lot of time online reading reviews and finding him books that I think he'll like.

He read through the first book in about a day so I quickly requested the next two books from the library as soon as I saw that the series was a hit.

The second book? He got halfway through in a couple of hours…then I noticed the book was lying around the house a lot. He read it in the car on the way to middle school one morning, but when it was time for him to jump out of the car and head into the school, he left it on the seat. "Hey!" I said, rolling down the car window and waving the novel at him. "You forgot your book!"

"It's okay," he said, with a dismissive wave. Uh oh. Something wasn't right with the book.

I always like to ask him what went wrong—for a few reasons. I like for him to think about what the writer did wrong…and improve his own writing skills. I also like to know if it sounds like the series is redeemable at all or if it's hopeless (can I interest him in the next book, or do I need to go series shopping again?) And—I want to know what he thinks went wrong so I don't make the same kind of mistake in my own series.

It turned out the series was a trilogy and the second book acted as sort of the saggy middle for the series. He said it was too long, repetitive, and had small periods of excitement, followed by long stretches of boredom.

My books don't extend storylines from book to book in a major way—character development, obviously, is on a particular path. And there are subplots that carry from one book to the next. But the story itself is basically a stand-alone. My concern is usually just not boring old readers of the series with backstory while making sure that any new readers will know what's going on.At some point, though, I might want to write a trilogy or a series with a continuing storyline.

I thought I'd share some great resources on series writing that I've collected. Hope they help:

Character life arcs in series

Time flies—or crawls—in a series

Tips for writing a series

How to write a series synopsis

Sex in a series

Why you should write a series and some lessons from successful series writer Patricia Cornwell

Things to consider about writing series (especially if you don't have an agent or publisher yet)

The importance of magic and wonder in a fantasy—and why series can ruin it.

What makes for a good series that lasts? (Margot Kinberg)

Series separation anxiety

What do you look for in a series as a reader? How do you handle them as a writer?

Quick Way to Keep Momentum

In each of my manuscripts, I have probably five rough spots to write through on a first draft.

These scenes usually have difficult transitions or lots of characters to keep straight (like a party scene), or different elements to include—suspense, humor, etc.

Frequently, when it was time to write these scenes next, I'd reached my writing goal for the day. So I made plans to tackle the scene the next morning.

Guess what I didn't want to do the next day?

I did write the scene. I always do because I have to in order to stay on track. But it took most of the morning to get around to it. My word count ended up being smaller because my procrastination ate into my writing time. It was just harder to get going.

So now I do a couple of things to make sure that I don't stall.

First of all, I do more outlining than I ordinarily do. I'll map out exactly what I want to accomplish and ideas for doing it. Basically, I do all the brainstorming for the scene.

Next, I don't stop writing for the day when I come up on these scenes. I'll at least write the transition into the scene. If I've got a little extra time, I'll do even more than that. If I've already written the segue into the trouble spot, then it's much easier for me to hop into writing.

Any other tips for dealing with procrastination and keeping your momentum going?

Twitterific

Here are writing links that I've posted to Twitter for the past week.

If you're looking for a particular topic, just plug in your keyword into the search box at the top left-hand corner of the blog (on the black header right above my blog name…next to the Blogger symbol…the small search window is next to the magnifying glass) and the roundup with your subject will come up. To narrow your search down on the page, do a CTRL+F, type your subject, and hit enter.

How to Raise Boys Who Read (Wall St. Journal): http://dld.bz/xUaE

Berlin's International Literary Fest Provides a Showcase for World Lit, Politics of Publishing: http://dld.bz/xUaA

The #1Thing You Must do Before You Write a Book: http://dld.bz/xUau

Don't make the mistake of treating writing like a hobby if you're trying to get published: http://dld.bz/xUam

The Business of Writing – Series Outline: http://dld.bz/xUad

The Importance of Breaking Goals into Manageable Steps: http://dld.bz/xTZY

Revision Alchemy: Part 3: http://dld.bz/xGHu

Ruthless revision: http://dld.bz/xGHs

Tips for writing chapter books for young readers: http://dld.bz/xGEN

10 tip-filled articles for authors writing nonfiction books: http://dld.bz/xGED

Reinvigorating Your Writing Routine: http://dld.bz/xGEu

Developing the Craft & Art of Writing - a guest blog: http://dld.bz/xGEp

10 Ways to Find the Agent You Need: http://dld.bz/xGEk

How Cookbook Authors Can Do a Great Cooking Segment on TV: http://dld.bz/xGDZ

Online Safety and Presence for Writers: http://t.co/Or4AUj8

Tips for author bios, headshots, and About Me pages: http://dld.bz/xGDS

Oh Writers They Do Get Weary: http://dld.bz/xGDs

3 Ways Twitter Analysis Can Enhance Your Marketing: http://dld.bz/xGDh

How to Keep Track of Book Series: http://dld.bz/xGDd

Unhappy Client Suing B.K. Nelson Inc. Literary Agency (Writer Beware): http://dld.bz/xGDa

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Rainy Day Split Pea Soup http://bit.ly/ctY4fj @CleoCoyle

Knowing When to Ask for Help: http://dld.bz/x8KC

The benefit of putting your manuscript in a drawer for a while: http://dld.bz/x8MM

Organizing your Queries and Submissions: http://dld.bz/x8MC

Don't be afraid of bad first drafts: http://dld.bz/x8M5

Con your way out of Negative Thinking with a Pros & Cons List: http://dld.bz/x8K8

Feng Shui for Writers--Creating a Writing Space You'll Love: http://dld.bz/x8Ke

Why you're a real writer (even if you don't think so): http://dld.bz/x8JK

10 commandments for book launch day: http://dld.bz/x8MW

The Subjectivity of Readers ... or ... Talk Me Down Off the Ledge: http://dld.bz/x8E4

Are Bloggers the New Gatekeepers in Publishing? http://dld.bz/x8En

Emma Thompson's attack on slang: the pedants' battle may be lost (Telegraph): http://dld.bz/x8Ef

Writing Books: Scene by Scene, Chapter by Chapter, Book by Book: http://dld.bz/x8DT

Talking to Agents and Editors at Conferences: http://dld.bz/x8DM

9 Must-Follow Manuscript Rules (Writer's Digest): http://dld.bz/x8Dq

Self-Editing Revisited: http://dld.bz/x8Db

Where did the decadent novel go? (Guardian): http://dld.bz/x8Da

The problem with sharing our work: http://dld.bz/xKR4

With working link: directory of book industry tweeps: http://dld.bz/xKRg

7 Things That Blogging Does: http://dld.bz/x8CV

E-Book Promo Ideas: http://dld.bz/x8C2

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Easy Chicken Parmesan Casserole from Cleo Coyle http://bit.ly/dp46rK @CleoCoyle

Mystery writer's guide to forensics--rigor mortis: http://dld.bz/x8Ck

Should a writer submit illustrations with their book query? http://dld.bz/x8B2

5 Ways to Stay Safe on Social Media: http://dld.bz/x8Ax

The 9 Worst Ways to Use Twitter for Promo: http://dld.bz/x87k

The essence of plotting: http://dld.bz/x8Ag

Write what excites you: http://dld.bz/x89B

Character arcs - how characters change: http://dld.bz/x878

8 Bad Habits that Crush Your Creativity And Stifle Your Success: http://dld.bz/x87v

Writing Lessons – Practical Tips for Improving Writing Skills: http://dld.bz/x87s

The Making of a Novel: Chapter Endings (Huff Post): http://dld.bz/x86V

Should you write a real or a fictional setting? Some thoughts: http://dld.bz/x8f2

Blogging with Windows Live Writer: http://dld.bz/x45f

How Do Authors Make Money?—Thinking Beyond the Book: http://dld.bz/x44Z

What mystery has taught one mystery editor: http://dld.bz/xsHw

Mystery Writer's Guide to Reading People--the Body Language and Behavior of Liars: http://dld.bz/xE5f @mkinberg @clarissadraper

"Despite" or "In Spite of"? http://dld.bz/xsHn

How to Read and Why: http://dld.bz/xsG4

Tips for guest blogging: http://dld.bz/xsEV

Authors Feel Pinch in Age of E-Books (Wall St. Journal): http://dld.bz/xDcR

Blog tours--why you should have one and tips and resources for setting one up: http://dld.bz/xDcC

11 tips for blogging well: http://dld.bz/xsEQ

How To Be Creative: Incubating Inspiration: http://dld.bz/xsE7

Writing Nowadays–Why the Pen Name? http://dld.bz/xsEv

What Are They Saying About You Online? http://dld.bz/xsEq

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Sweet Potato Casserole—Side Dish—or Dessert? http://bit.ly/9Wzk3y @CleoCoyle

Personal Branding Basics for 2011: http://dld.bz/xs95

How to Find Time to Write Your Book: http://dld.bz/xs9z

Not Even Mein Kampf: Why Hateful Books Should Not Be Banned: http://dld.bz/xs9d

4 Simple Ways to Improve Your Writing: http://dld.bz/xs8C

How to Plan a Successful Debut Book Party: http://dld.bz/xs87

3 More Free and Cheap Marketing Ideas for Books and eBooks: http://dld.bz/xs8q

Coordinating a book blog tour: Dotting your Rs and Crossing your… Rs: http://dld.bz/xs8k

Revise in Haste; Repent in Leisure: http://dld.bz/x8Ng

What We Talk About When We Talk About Men Not Reading (The New Yorker): http://dld.bz/xs8g

For short story writers--should you submit to online or print journals? http://dld.bz/x8fj

What's it like at a writer's colony? http://dld.bz/xs7P

How fiction writers (& other creatives) can develop into badass bloggers:http://dld.bz/xs73

Agents & Editors are people too… Some you like, some you don't. http://dld.bz/xs7k

Resubmitting a Query: http://dld.bz/xs7c

The Importance of a Polished Manuscript: http://dld.bz/xs6M

Apps and eBooks: Readers Have Great Expectations, But How Do You Deliver? http://dld.bz/xs5H

6 things you can stick in your ears to improve your writing: http://dld.bz/xs5A

How Tucker Max Got Rejected by Publishing and Still Hit #1 New York Times: http://dld.bz/xs57

10 phases of rejection: http://dld.bz/xs5y

Role Play to Better Writing: http://dld.bz/xs5r

Sexual Force and Reader Consent in Romance: http://dld.bz/xs2z

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Cupcake Swag Winner! http://bit.ly/afsDBb @CleoCoyle

An agent explains why he doesn't use form letters: http://dld.bz/xsaq

3 Keys to Handling Criticism: http://dld.bz/xsaj

4 Big Reasons to be Grateful for Independent Editors: http://dld.bz/xsaf

Separating the sin from the sinner in fiction: http://dld.bz/xsac

Goal, Motivation, Conflict, Tension: http://dld.bz/xrZX @4KidLit

Brainstorming? Or just have 10 minutes to write? Try making lists: http://dld.bz/xrZ3

One great thing about going to writer's conferences--people who understand you: http://dld.bz/xn24

Does your main character have a double life? What characters hide: http://dld.bz/xuE7 @dirtywhitecandy

Writing for radio: http://dld.bz/xnuG @nicholebernier

50 Can't-Fail Techniques for Finding Great Blog Topics: http://dld.bz/xnwK

An agent on the curse of the trade paperback: http://dld.bz/xnw7

Writers: How Do You Cope with Give Up Moments? http://dld.bz/xnvn

Somebody Loves You: What To Do When An Agent Says Yes: http://dld.bz/xt8j @nicholebernier

7 Secrets of Spectacular Bloggers: http://dld.bz/xnvm

Memoir is the new Novel: http://dld.bz/xnuz @nicholebernier

Top 10 Ways to Become a Writer: http://dld.bz/xngT

Vistual Storytelling, Part 1: http://dld.bz/xng3

Important qualities for successful series: http://dld.bz/xsbt @mkinberg

Picture Book Queries: http://dld.bz/xngt

HarperCollins Launches Conservative Imprint Broadside Books: http://dld.bz/xngh

11 Ways to Convince Readers to Buy Your eBook: http://dld.bz/xmUa

Sapphires and steel: The glittering life of global bestseller Barbara Taylor Bradford (Independent): http://dld.bz/xmTU

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: DIRTY BOOKS http://bit.ly/9myvDc @CleoCoyle

Writing when you're uninspired: http://dld.bz/xmTK

Magic Explained. Definitively. http://dld.bz/xmTD

Top 10 reasons one writer "bans" books: http://dld.bz/xmTx @Kerrie_Flanagan

7 Deadly Sins of Prologues–Great Novel Beginnings Part 2: http://dld.bz/xmTe @KristenLambTX

Revisions: What Every Writer Should Know: http://dld.bz/xgZU

Writing an action scene? Think like a director: http://dld.bz/xnwh @ianthealy

An Author's Personal Library Lost And Found (NPR): http://dld.bz/xgZN

Top Tips For Booksellers From Gothenburg Book Fair: http://dld.bz/xgZH

What to do when you freeze up while writing: http://dld.bz/xgZA

Diverting the reader's attention to plant a surprise: http://dld.bz/xgZy

In defense of backstory: http://dld.bz/xdXv

The key element that every good scene needs (or: how to change the game in your novel): http://dld.bz/xdXe

In defense of description: http://dld.bz/xdWN

How small steps can make you a published writer and social media ninja: http://dld.bz/xdWB

An agent on whether it's advisable to write gun use into your YA novel: http://dld.bz/xd2Q

5 Things One Writer Learned After Publication: http://dld.bz/xcpC

How Authors And Writers Can Build An Email List For Marketing: http://dld.bz/xcpw @thecreativepenn

Setting Goals to Succeed: Lessons from a Freelance Classical Musician: http://dld.bz/xcp9

Ebook Pricing: http://dld.bz/xcpx

A working life: The romantic novelist (Guardian): http://dld.bz/xcp5

Overly Critical Readers: http://dld.bz/xcjP

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: The Cat's Meow http://bit.ly/9bjjxW @CleoCoyle

Top writing advice from other writers: http://dld.bz/xcjG

Handling Rejection: http://dld.bz/xcjF

10 Excellent Tools for Testing Your Site on Mobile Devices: http://dld.bz/xcj6

The YA Graphic Novel: http://dld.bz/xcj2

Literary agents open the door to self-published writers: http://dld.bz/xcjw

How to read a publishing contract (26): http://dld.bz/xcjt

What's Coming Next for eBooks? http://dld.bz/xcjq

How to Fix Writer's Block and Make Your Writing Sparkle: http://dld.bz/wYsP

The #1 Talent You Need to be a Good Writer: http://dld.bz/wYsD

Best Tweets for Writers (week ending 9/24/10--Writer's Digest): http://dld.bz/xdUF

To multi-book or not to multi-book: http://dld.bz/wYrP

Twitter for Authors--Twitter Dangers: http://dld.bz/wYrG

Twitterific--the week in tweets: http://dld.bz/xd2E

12 Dos and Don'ts for Introducing your Protagonist: http://dld.bz/wYr4

Don't let rituals kill your creativity: http://dld.bz/wYrs

5 of the meanest book reviews ever (Huff Post--photo essay): http://dld.bz/wYqs

The Making of a Novel: Writing Into a Void vs. Writing Into a Universe (Huff Post): http://dld.bz/wYpT

Freelancers: 4 Ways to Bridge Gaps in Your Writer Resume: http://dld.bz/wYpM

Fun with hyphens: http://dld.bz/wYpF

Tips for Writers from the Movie: "The Prizewinner of Defiance Ohio": http://dld.bz/wYp8

Online Safety and Presence

Most writers are spending more time than ever online.  And we're putting a lot of ourselves out there—on social media, through blogging—or even by sharing our work online.

Although that's the best way to access the support of the online writing community (and publishers love it,  from a marketing standpoint), it pays to keep an eye on our online presence.

Recently, the Writer Warriors blog ran a good post on basic online safety tips.  I might have violated a couple of them from time to time. :)  It's a good reminder that we're not just communicating with our friends when we're putting our information online—we're also communicating it to any bad guys out there in cyberspace.

Some writers I've come across worry a lot about online security and cyberstalkers, etc.  I think it's a good thing to think about and to be careful with, but I can honestly say that so far I can count on one hand the number of creepy people I've met online and I have a pretty extensive network.  It's easy enough to unfollow or unfriend or block these folks.  But I do have a writing friend who has had a more serious problem—so there are really scary people out there.

You need to make sure to change your passwords on Twitter (especially Twitter….which has hackers breaking in pretty frequently) and Facebook fairly often.   If someone hijacks our online identity, it's going to be a problem.

I also do Google searches on my name occasionally (probably not as often as I should.)  I have Google alerts for my books and blog.  Sometimes I'll check my name on Google images and it's mind boggling the amount of stuff that comes up.  There are definitely pictures of me on there, but some of the pictures I don't understand at all.  It's a good way to make sure your name isn't being misused in any way or that your identity hasn't been stolen.

We also have to watch out for online pirates, unfortunately.  There are blogs that are set up as fronts for spammers.  They'll steal your content in a second.  Sometimes you can contact these places and mention copyright and successfully get them to take the stuff down—sometimes it just doesn't work.

A couple of my friends have had their published books put up on pirate sites for download.  They contacted their publisher and got them to tackle it…which they did.  It's better to go through your publisher for that kind of thing—they've got the Big Gun lawyers, after all.

And we can't forget the stuff that we put up online before we really think about what we're saying.  Since our online remarks stay accessible for years after we make them, we really need to pass everything we write through a filter—would we want our publisher/employer/readers/mother/children to read this comment?  Can it possibly be taken the wrong way?

Unfortunately, the more time we spend online, the easier it is to relax and forget about these things.  When I read articles like the one that came out the other day, it reminds me that I should pay more attention.

How vigilant are you to protect your identity online?

The Problem With Sharing Our Work

I've thought a lot lately about how creative people have it rough sometimes.


We do get so much back from being creative—if we didn't get a lot of joy from it, we wouldn't do it.  And I think most of us get a lot out of our friendships with other creative people, too.

But there's also a bad side.  And usually that comes with sharing our work with others.

My husband and I were at a play a couple of weekends ago at a neighborhood theater with an intimate feel to it.  It was so intimate that my husband and I felt practically like part of the cast in our front row seats.   When the play started, I saw one actor scan the audience, quickly taking it in before starting his lines.

If you think about it, actors have a lot in common with writers.  There's an audition process for them that rivals writers' querying of industry professionals. And, for stage performers, there's that added stress of instant approval or rejection from a live audience—at least a writer's audience is usually remote.  Musicians and visual artists are also in the same boat as far as the stress of putting their work out there for people to hear and see.

Creative people probably don't have the best disposition for handling this kind of stress.  A lot of us are introverted and private…and passionate about what we do, to the point where rejection of our creative work feels personal.

There was a blog post the other day from a writing friend of mine, Marybeth Whalen who I met online, but had lunch with a few weeks ago when we found out we live just a few miles away from each other.

Her post made me wince because it's really the worst-case scenario you're going to have as an author.
Think about how tough we have to be—we've already faced our own fears and insecurities about writing. 

We've sacrificed our personal time.  We've learned about the industry through never-ending research.  We've had critique groups and first readers make suggestions and offer opinions on our writing.  We've had a hundred rejections from agents and publishers. 

Then we finally make it—get an agent, get a publisher.  Still, rough days continue with the occasional bad review. 

So far, though, it's probably all been with a little bit of distance between you and the different little stabs of hurt or rejection.

With Marybeth, she actually was asked by a book club to make a conference call to discuss her book—and she ended up falling into a trap.  Maybe, actually, it was more like a firing squad.  The book club had apparently strongly disagreed with what they thought Marybeth's opinions on divorce were, as represented by a character in her book. 

I felt terrible for Marybeth having to defend her fictional book in real-time, but also felt sorry for creative people in general.  I think, really, we all have to have nerves of absolute steel—and you hate to be that way because sensitivity is a pretty common trait of creative people—we're observant folks who take it all in.  Not really the brash or hard types.

Marybeth ended her post, though, by saying that she took a lot of strength from an email she received from a reader who really got her book.

I hate to say it, but most days I think I'm tough as nails.  Or, maybe there's just a difference between Writing Elizabeth (the daydreamy person who might absentmindedly walk off a cliff while plotting her book) and Promoting Elizabeth (who would like for you to like her book, but won't be hurt if you don't.)

Promoting Elizabeth isn't going away unless I stop writing books, which isn't my plan.  And, honestly, I really do think it helps to have a tough skin in conjunction with a writing career.  I hate having one, but it grew out of necessity over the years.  I think it means that we can put all of the bad stuff out of our mind and focus on the good things (like Marybeth did with her reader's email)—and focus on being creative without worrying what the audience reaction will be.

I think back to the actor I saw in the theater.  His eyes took in the packed house, the air of audience anticipation and the audience's impatience for the show to start.  He took a deep breath—and dove right into acting. 

And ended up with a standing ovation. 

Blog Touring

I was looking at my calendar yesterday and adding a guest blogger for Mystery Writing is Murder to it when I realized I have seven guest bloggers coming up in the next five weeks.


I enjoy having guests on the blog—I love reading  different perspectives on writing. It also gives me a chance to find out about some great new releases.

When I first heard about blog touring, though, I really didn't have a clue what people were talking about.  It was 2008 and I loved the idea of it—the not having to physically tour part—so I spent some time looking it up online. I even signed up for a blog tour class on a Yahoo group that gave some really useful information on blog touring…both hosting one and being a good tour guest.

Reasons to Consider a Blog Tour

It's hard for you to leave job/family/etc. to travel.
Traveling is expensive
A blog tour reaches many more people than a physical tour
Increased Google Hits for your book and a higher Google ranking
It's a great way to increase visibility and buzz

Publishers like blog tours, which is another reason to consider having one.  A few years back, when blog tours were just really getting cranked up, Felicia Sullivan, a senior online marketing manager of a HarperCollins imprint,  was interviewed by the New York Times:

"If I had to choose, I'd rather have an author promote themselves online. You can reach at least a few hundred people on a blog, and save time, money and the fear of being a loser when no one shows up to your reading."

Are you limited to just visiting blogs with a virtual tour?

No, it's probably a good idea to mix it up a little. Podcasts are nice. (I was on Red River Writers once…that's a good one to check out. There's also the Reading and Writing podcast.)   You could also arrange to send your book to online book reviewers so they could review your book—you wouldn't be making an appearance on their site, but your book would.  Also remember to promote or see if friends can tweet or mention your tour or release on Facebook and Twitter or other social media.

When should you start the book tour?

Probably you should kick it off with the release of the book, unless you're shooting for good pre-orders.  And a tour can last as long as you like—and be as intensive as you like.  I've seen some blog tours where authors have every date in a three-week period booked for an online appearance, and I've seen tours (like mine) which were stretched out for a while, but with appearances every couple of days or so.

What kinds of formats should you consider for your appearance?

Reviews—You'd ask book bloggers to consider reviewing your book.

Interviews—The blog host would conduct an interview with you.

Character Interview—These can be fun—the blog host interviews your character.

Guest Post—You write a post for the blog host on a topic of the host's choice…and it usually ties into your new release.

Contests—Holding contests for commenters is a nice way to spur interest in your book.

How do I reach potential hosts?

Finding good hosts is really key. You'll definitely have online friends who'll be happy to host you, but also consider reaching out to other bloggers who write or read your genre….particularly blogs that have a lot of followers (usually there's a widget in the sidebar that shows followers), commenters, and participation.  Obviously, you want to get as many eyeballs as possible—and some potential new readers— to look at your book cover and buy link.

Usually, as a host, I get an email or a Facebook message from authors who are interested in appearing on my blog.  If I don't know them, they introduce themselves, tell me a little about their book, mention the date it's being released, and ask if there's a date during their launch month that's available for them to guest post.

Don't forget to pitch the book.  Make sure that you provide your blog host with a "buy link"—a link to an online retailer where an interested reader can purchase your book.  Sometimes the blog host will hyperlink your book cover to a buy link, too.

List your tour dates on your blog sidebar.   It can help readers keep track of where you'll be and provides nice exposure for the blog tour hosts.

Etiquette- don't be obnoxious.  Not that any of y'all would be!  But some folks get a little too tour-happy and you end up with a bunch of BSP (blatant self-promo) coming out at you from all directions—all the time.  Usually it's enough promo to send readers over to the blog stop du jour from your blog, tweet the stop, and Facebook the stop.

Interested in hosting others' blog tours?  Here's a post on how to be a good blog tour host that Helen Ginger created (scroll down after you click over.)

A lot of you have been on blog tours—have you got any additional tips to share?

Ambiguous Characters

I was shopping at the Costco warehouse—on a Saturday.  I must have lost my mind because there were gobs of people in there.

I quickly grabbed the things I'd come for, then navigated my way toward the cash registers.

Because it was a weekend, the food samples were really out in full force.  Almost every aisle end-cap had someone with a wok or a small grill, cooking samples.

Finally I got a little closer to the registers and was in the cleaning section of the warehouse.  But there was still a lady on an end-cap with some samples.  She had a bottle of cleaner next to her, a cup with the cleaner in it so you could smell how fresh it was, and some free sample packets that you could take home and try.

I'd forgotten garbage bags, so I dodged down that aisle real quick and heard a man come up to the lady behind me.  "Have you got something for me to taste?"

The lady was elderly and she gave a little, tinkling laugh and said, "Well, you wouldn't want to taste it because it's soap.  But I do have some samples for you to take home with you and clean with."

"But everyone else's table has samples you can eat or drink.  Sure I can't eat or drink it? How about if I try to?"

Of course, I'm turning around at this point.  He was a sort of nondescript man about my age with a toddler with him. 

This is where I'd have expected him to wink at her or act like he'd been joking and ask some questions about the cleaning power of the detergent or whatever it was.  But he didn't.
"Oh, I don't think you'd want to, sir," the lady said.

"So…it's not to eat.  A sample that's not for eating.  We can't eat this, Jack," he said to the little boy.
 
The elderly lady gave a funny laugh, but was clearly trying to figure out if the guy was trying to joke with her, or if he was just odd.  He looked over at me for a moment—I was clearly staring at him.  He smiled, but not a I'm-making-a-joke smile.  I smiled back, but I didn't understand him or his smile.

"And it's not for drinking!"  He lifted up the cup she'd put out, acting like he was going to take a sip.

"No sir," she said, with some emphasis on the 'no.' She looked uncomfortable.

Was it a joke that was taken to a tedious length?  Was the man just a little off?  I wasn't going to stick around and try to figure out more clues, though—especially since he was already clued in to the fact that I was watching him.

I've read a few books in the last couple of years that had characters that were hard to read. 


Were they good guys or bad guys?  Friends or enemies of the main character?

Sometimes an author has an unlikeable character do something good, or vice versa.  And as a reader, I was left wondering, "Was this good thing done by this bad character done 0nly because it was self-serving in some way?"

And occasionally, I've had a hard time finding clues to a character's intent in the dialogue.  Sarcasm can be especially hard to figure out (unless a writer is using tags that leave no doubt that he's wanting a sentence to be taken that way –'he said sarcastically.'  Which isn't considered great writing.)

I like ambiguous characters, I think, when I'm getting the feeling that I'm reading a complex character.  I don't like ambiguity when I feel like the writer just doesn't have a handle on the character and the character isn't acting consistently. 

But if the ambiguity goes on for a long time, I think it needs to be really well written.  Rowling's Severus Snape comes to mind—she did a great job showing different sides to him.  He wasn't all good or all bad—and really, are most of us?

But if there were a character like my guy in the Costco?  I think I'd want a little more explanation at some point as to where he's coming from—some background on why he might be behaving erratically.  Some insight on whether he's got a weird sense of humor…or is weird, himself.

Are your characters easy to read?  If you give them some layers of complexity, is their motivation clear?  Or do you leave readers wondering for a while…and how long?

Lists for Inspiration

I'm a huge list maker.

This has a lot to do with my need to outsource my horrible memory.
It also helps me sleep better at night, knowing that I've thought of all the things I need to do the next day…and I haven't dropped the ball anywhere.

So it's only natural that making lists would help me write my book, too.

Somehow, it's easier for me to come up with lots of different ideas if I make them into bullet points and put them in list form.  I can  focus my list and have it be:

My protagonist's catch-phrases.
My protagonist's features.  Different physical traits of my protagonist.
My protagonist's facial expressions.

If you do this with plotting, it can be useful, too.  The idea is to come up with as many different resolutions for the scene you're writing or for the next scene as you can…no matter how outlandish they might be.  Some ideas will be completely ridiculous, but some might end up being useful.

5 possible endings for this book.
5 twists.
5 possible subplots.
5 ways the subplots could tie into the main plot.

Or you could do it for character growth:

5 ways the character could grow.
5 surprising things that we could learn about a character.
Top 10 list of things that bother the protagonist (then 10 things that would drive the character crazy that I could write into the book.)
10 things this character loves more than anything.

You could find other uses for lists, too:

5 ways to add some unexpected elements to the book (humor, suspense, sadness, fear.)

5 ways to describe the setting.

I love making lists because sometimes I'm looking for a way to squeeze in just a little more writing—but I only have ten minutes.  That amount of time is perfect for list-making, and I've found the exercise can really help me brainstorm more ideas.

Sometimes I'll just add list titles in my notebook and keep it in my car or laptop bag for when I end up with a little dead time.  That way I don't even have to figure out what list I want to start…I can just jump right in.

Do you use lists to brainstorm?  Mind maps?  What works for you?